Muromachi Outsiders

Muromachi Outsiders is a 2025 Japanese period epic film directed by Yu Irie, starring Yo Oizumi,, Wakana Matsumoto, Akira Emoto, Kazuki Kitamura and Shinichi Tsutsumi. Set in early 1460s Kyoto amidst the Kanshō famine, it follows rōnin as he leads an uprising against the shogunate. The film is an adaptation of the novel .

Production

In 2017, it was announced that Yo Oizumi and Shinichi Tsutsumi had been cast in a live-action film adaptation of 's novel Muromachi Bakufu, which had been published the year prior. However, filming was delayed first by the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan and then by director Yu Irie's schedule. The film was largely shot at various locations within Shiga Prefecture, including the Banshū Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist temple, though some scenes were filmed at at the end of November 2023 on a set which took a month and a half to construct.

Release

The film was released by Toei nationwide in Japan on 17 January 2025, though it was released in IMAX a week before on 10 January, becoming the first live-action film produced by Toei to be shown in IMAX. It screened at the New York Asian Film Festival on 22 July.

Reception

The film received positive reviews from critics at Movie Walker Press. James Hadfield of The Japan Times rated the film 3 stars out of 5 and opined that while it "never quite settles on a consistent tone", it is "easier to follow" than 11 Rebels and is "one of better efforts to date", with Oizumi being in "commanding form." Peter Glagowski of Flixist considered it a "fairly run-of-the-mill" action film which, like 11 Rebels, fails at "honing in on any specific style."